Can any Bollywood drama ever compare with the awesome spectacle of an Indian election?

Let us check out how much you know about the Great Election Tamasha.

A quiz we will publish every working day till May 13, the day we know who we have elected to the 14th Lok Sabha.

1. What connects the winner of the Kanara Lok Sabha seat in 1952 and 1957, the winner of the same seat in 1999 and India's Child Genius, the new reality show on Star World? a. Programme host Siddharth Basu. b. The finale is shot in the picturesque Karnataka constituency. c. There is a family connection.

Wrong! Try again..

Wrong!The correct answer is C.. Joachim Alva, winner of the 1952 and 1957 Lok Sabha elections, is the father-in-law of the 1999 winner Margaret Alva, whose sons Niret and Nikhil produce India's Child Genius as they do many other programmes on Indian television. Joachim's wife Violet was also a member of Parliament. The couple were widely regarded as among India's finest parliamentarians. Like her daughter-in-law Margaret who was a minister in the Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao governments, the flamboyant Violet Alva was minister of state for home in Jawaharlal Nehru's second government (1957 to 1962) and Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha from 1962 to 1969. She resigned over Indira Gandhi's choice for vice-president and died a week later. After two terms in the Lok Sabha, Joachim Alva returned to Parliament as the first journalist the President nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1968.

Correct!Joachim Alva, winner of the 1952 and 1957 Lok Sabha elections, is the father-in-law of the 1999 winner Margaret Alva, whose sons Niret and Nikhil produce India's Child Genius as they do many other programmes on Indian television. Joachim's wife Violet was also a member of Parliament. The couple were widely regarded as among India's finest parliamentarians. Like her daughter-in-law Margaret who was a minister in the Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao governments, the flamboyant Violet Alva was minister of state for home in Jawaharlal Nehru's second government (1957 to 1962) and Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha from 1962 to 1969. She resigned over Indira Gandhi's choice for vice-president and died a week later. After two terms in the Lok Sabha, Joachim Alva returned to Parliament as the first journalist the President nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1968.

2. 1. What connects the following members of the Lok Sabha: G V Mavalankar, M A Ayyangar, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Gurdial Singh Dhillon, Bali Ram Bhagat, K S Hegde, Balram Jakhar, Rabi Ray, Shivraj Patil, P A Sangma, G M C Balyogi, and Manohar Joshi? a. They have all been elected to Parliament from three different states. b. All former Speakers of the Lok Sabha. c. They all resigned their seats mid-way to accept other posts in government.

Wrong! Try again..

Wrong!The correct answer is B.G V Mavalankar, the first Speaker, was elected from Ahmedabad in 1952 and died suddenly in 1956. M A Ayyangar, the deputy speaker, was unanimously selected as his successor and served another term till 1962. He was elected from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh in 1957 and 1962. He was succeeded by Hukum Singh, a former judge and a three-time member of the House, in 1962. Singh had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhatinda in 1952 and 1957, and from Patiala in 1962. He was succeeded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, a former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and central minister. Reddy, elected from Hindupur in 1967, resigned as Speaker to contest the Presidential election in 1969, which he lost. He was succeeded by Gurdial Singh Dhillon, the MP from Tarn Taran, in Punjab. Like Ayyangar, Dhillon continued for another term, resigning on December 1, 1975 to be appointed shipping minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet. Dhillon was briefly succeeded by Bali Ram Bhagat, former central minister and the MP from Arrah, Bihar, since 1957. In 1977, when the Janata Party government came to power, Sanjeeva Reddy, elected this time from Nandyal, returned as Speaker for a couple of months before being elected President. He was succeeded by K S Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge and MP from Bangalore South in 1977. Balram Jakhar, elected to Parliament from Ferozepur in 1980, went on to become Speaker in his first term as MP. He is the only Speaker to serve two full terms in that office -- representing Sikar in Rajasthan in his second term. Socialist icon Rabi Ray, MP from Kendrapara in Orissa, was the Speaker when V P Singh's Janata Dal government was in power. He was succeeded by Shivraj Patil, the MP from Latur, the last Speaker to serve a full term. In 1996, Patil was succeeded by another Congressman, Purno Aitok Sangma, MP from Tura in Meghalaya, who became a national celebrity by his able stewardship of the House during those turbulent times that the H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral governments were in power. He was succeeded by G M C Balayogi, the Telugu Desam MP from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh. When Balayogi died in an air crash in March 2002, he was succeeded by Manohar Joshi, the Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai North and industry minister in the Vajpayee government.

Correct!G V Mavalankar, the first Speaker, was elected from Ahmedabad in 1952 and died suddenly in 1956. M A Ayyangar, the deputy speaker, was unanimously selected as his successor and served another term till 1962. He was elected from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh in 1957 and 1962. He was succeeded by Hukum Singh, a former judge and a three-time member of the House, in 1962. Singh had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhatinda in 1952 and 1957, and from Patiala in 1962. He was succeeded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, a former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and central minister. Reddy, elected from Hindupur in 1967, resigned as Speaker to contest the Presidential election in 1969, which he lost. He was succeeded by Gurdial Singh Dhillon, the MP from Tarn Taran, in Punjab. Like Ayyangar, Dhillon continued for another term, resigning on December 1, 1975 to be appointed shipping minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet. Dhillon was briefly succeeded by Bali Ram Bhagat, former central minister and the MP from Arrah, Bihar, since 1957. In 1977, when the Janata Party government came to power, Sanjeeva Reddy, elected this time from Nandyal, returned as Speaker for a couple of months before being elected President. He was succeeded by K S Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge and MP from Bangalore South in 1977. Balram Jakhar, elected to Parliament from Ferozepur in 1980, went on to become Speaker in his first term as MP. He is the only Speaker to serve two full terms in that office -- representing Sikar in Rajasthan in his second term. Socialist icon Rabi Ray, MP from Kendrapara in Orissa, was the Speaker when V P Singh's Janata Dal government was in power. He was succeeded by Shivraj Patil, the MP from Latur, the last Speaker to serve a full term. In 1996, Patil was succeeded by another Congressman, Purno Aitok Sangma, MP from Tura in Meghalaya, who became a national celebrity by his able stewardship of the House during those turbulent times that the H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral governments were in power. He was succeeded by G M C Balayogi, the Telugu Desam MP from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh. When Balayogi died in an air crash in March 2002, he was succeeded by Manohar Joshi, the Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai North and industry minister in the Vajpayee government.

3. Only one state in the Indian Union has the dubious distinction of not having a Lok Sabha election twice (In one of those years, elections were held in two of the state's constituencies). Which one? a. Jammu and Kashmir. b. Punjab. c. Assam.

Wrong! Try again..

Wrong! The correct answer is C.No election was held in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991. The 1991 general election in Punjab was delayed by a year, and was held in 1992. Assam did not have a general election in 1980 (an election was only held in Karimganj and Silchar that year) and 1989.

Correct!No election was held in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991. The 1991 general election in Punjab was delayed by a year, and was held in 1992. Assam did not have a general election in 1980 (an election was only held in Karimganj and Silchar that year) and 1989.

4. What connects Margatham Chandrashekhar with Rajiv Gandhi, apart from their being Congress members of the Lok Sabha? a. Mrs Chandrashekhar nominated Rajiv when he contested his first election. b. Sriperumbudur. c. Rajiv sacked her as a minister at a press conference.

Wrong! Try again..

Wrong! The correct answer is B.Sriperumbudur, where former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi traveled to address a rally for party veteran Margatham Chandrashekhar on that fateful night on May 21, 1991. Weeks after Rajiv's assassination Chandrashekhar won Sriperumbudur for the third consecutive time. The DMK, which last won this seat in 1980, won the 1996 election, courtesy T Nagaratnam, who defeated the Congress' Lata Priyakumar -- Chandrashekhar's daughter -- by 245,000 votes. The AIADMK won the seat in 1998; the DMK in 1999. Sonia Gandhi announced her entry in politics from Sriperumbudur on January 10, 1998.

Correct!Sriperumbudur, where former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi traveled to address a rally for party veteran Margatham Chandrashekhar on that fateful night on May 21, 1991. Weeks after Rajiv's assassination Chandrashekhar won Sriperumbudur for the third consecutive time. The DMK, which last won this seat in 1980, won the 1996 election, courtesy T Nagaratnam, who defeated the Congress' Lata Priyakumar -- Chandrashekhar's daughter -- by 245,000 votes. The AIADMK won the seat in 1998; the DMK in 1999. Sonia Gandhi announced her entry in politics from Sriperumbudur on January 10, 1998.

Wrong! The correct answer is B.Raj Babbar, whose role as the vicious rapist in B R Chopra's Insaaf ka Tarazu still gives people nightmares, gave Atal Bihari Vajpayee a tough fight when he contested the Lucknow seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 1996. In 1999, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav gave Babbar the ticket from Agra. The actor was not expected to win against the BJP nominee, Bhagwan Shankar Rawat, who had won the seat in 1991, 1996 and 1998. But win Agra, he did, by 112,892 votes.

Correct!Raj Babbar, whose role as the vicious rapist in B R Chopra's Insaaf ka Tarazu still gives people nightmares, gave Atal Bihari Vajpayee a tough fight when he contested the Lucknow seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 1996. In 1999, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav gave Babbar the ticket from Agra. The actor was not expected to win against the BJP nominee, Bhagwan Shankar Rawat, who had won the seat in 1991, 1996 and 1998. But win Agra, he did, by 112,892 votes.

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